Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence — Tel Aviv, Israel, July 1960

On July 2, 1960, at 1825Z, the US Naval Attache and his wife observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon from their home in an eastern suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel. The witnesses reported seeing a bright light in the sky that appeared to glow and increase in size while remaining stationary. The object was observed at an approximate true bearing of 205 degrees and an elevation of approximately 10 degrees above the horizon. The witnesses noted that there was no apparent motion and no whistling or thunderlike sounds associated with the object. They initially suspected it might be an aircraft on fire and subsequently checked with Lydda Airport and other local facilities, but received negative reports regarding any aircraft in the area. The incident was documented on a Project 10073 record card and reported via military channels, including a message citing 'Moon Dust' reporting procedures. Internal analysis by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) attempted to identify the object. Investigators considered several possibilities, including a meteor, a weather balloon, or the star Spica. The analysis noted that if the witness's elevation estimate was off by approximately 30 degrees, the object could have been the star Spica. However, the report ultimately concluded that the data was insufficient to reach a firm determination, noting that the duration of the sighting was not provided, which hindered the ability to distinguish between a stationary object like a balloon or a transient event like a satellite reentry. The case remains classified as having insufficient data for evaluation.